


One for the Pail List

by Spiria



Category: Final Fantasy VIII
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-07
Updated: 2017-11-07
Packaged: 2019-01-30 15:17:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12656115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spiria/pseuds/Spiria
Summary: Laguna visits Balamb Garden on a fine morning to do more than woo the resident dog, and Squall considers throwing him a bone.





	One for the Pail List

**Author's Note:**

> For Danica (and Trap!), who wanted Laguna to interact with Squall as a father in any capacity. He's trying. Squall's not sure about that, though.

The day is young; and the morning sky, a soft blue with strong winds to drift Balamb Garden toward its next destination. As the cadets and instructors file away to their respective classrooms, classes begin and quiet settles in the halls of the Garden. By the elevator of the first floor, however, a dog barks in excitement beside a man hunched toward her.

"Who's a good boy?" coos Laguna, beckoning Angelo with a gentle wave of his hand. Behind him, Squall purses his lips.

"Angelo is a girl."

Laguna doesn't flinch. "Who's a good girl?"

Angelo's response is to trot in circles, whining every other step for reasons that the men have yet to ascertain. Yet Laguna continues to motion like an old film stuck in a glitching loop, apparently hoping against the odds that the dog would have a change of heart. Appalled by the scene unfolding before him, Squall rests his head on his hand.

 _( . . . His hand's gonna fall off of his arm.)_  "Forget it. She's not going to let you pet her."

"She won't now," says Laguna, resting his arm against his leg, "but she will eventually. Did you know? Dogs are a man's best man."

 _(No, they're not.)_  Squall surreptitiously breathes in and resists the temptation to walk away. "Where did you hear that?"

"It's an old saying! You know what I think?" Laguna looks over his shoulder at Squall, and Angelo takes this opportunity to dash away with a yip. "You should travel sometime. Not the way you did when you first came to Esthar--but really get to know the world, see the sights." He leans forward and straightens his frame with the push of his palms against his knees, the motion betraying his age. His voice, meanwhile, takes on a wistful tone. "We could go together. Wouldn't that be fun?"

_(Not with Angelo on the loose. I need to find her before Rinoa returns . . . )_

"Where would we get the time?" Squall asks instead, though his level delivery takes away from the inquisitive nature of the question.

Laguna, ever the optimist, replies, "I'm sure we can work something out. It doesn't have to be right now . . . or even very soon. Just something for the pail list, right?"

"It's a bucket list," says Squall, unable to bear it anymore.

"Yeah, that's what I said!"

"Never mind." Squall shakes his head, washing his hands of the subject. "I need to find Angelo."

"I'll go with you." An awkward pause falls between them, and Laguna rubs the nape of his neck in an uncharacteristic show of shyness. "I wasn't kidding earlier. Think about my offer, all right? Once you have the time, we can go places."

"What about your responsibilities?" Laguna crosses his arms with a triumphant huff, and immediately Squall feels the small seed of dread over the answer.

"Kiros can handle them."

 _(Is he serious?)_ "Fine," says Squall, and the rest goes unsaid as it comes to a clumsy halt in his mind. Schooling his expression, he turns away. "Let's go and find Angelo already."

With his loose shirt and sandals, Laguna is the poster boy for conviction as he says, "This time, I'm going to win her heart."

 _(He's fighting a losing battle . . . )_ "Just don't scare her away again."


End file.
